


First Time

by neon



Series: Florist & Merc AU [9]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cunnilingus, F/M, First Time, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:47:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neon/pseuds/neon
Summary: Aerith is a florist. Cloud is a mercenary. (AU)Cloud…His eyes drifted open at the sound of his name, whispered in Aerith’s voice by the flowers he lay on.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: Florist & Merc AU [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798867
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	First Time

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the past, sometime after the flashback in "Desertion".
> 
> The context for this AU is:  
> \- Cloud and Aerith are in a relationship.  
> \- Aerith was an orphan. Cloud was a SOLDIER.  
> \- Aerith is now a florist, and Cloud is now a mercenary.  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Cloud and Aerith live in the same house as Aerith's in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.

_Cloud…_

His eyes drifted open at the sound of his name, whispered in Aerith’s voice by the flowers he lay on.

With a soft grunt, Cloud leveraged himself to sit, drawing his knee up before he became still and listened. His attention aimed toward the house down the hill. The flowers craned in the wind blowing from that direction, echoing his name for the second time.

He didn’t know why, or how, he was hearing Aerith call out to him. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was, she was calling.

He grabbed the hilt of his sword he’d buried upright in the ground, freeing it when he stood. He moved swiftly, letting the incline quicken his steps, keeping the momentum as he headed for the porch and the front door.

_Cloud… Cloud!_

He bounded up the flight of stairs two at a time. He made for Aerith’s shut bedroom door, twisting the handle quickly to fling it wide while reaching behind his head for the hilt of his sword.

"Aerith! What’s wrong—"

"C- _Cloud!"_

Cloud jerked to a standstill, blinking at the flutter of Aerith’s dress. She pulled her hand out from the folds of it, and squeaking loudly, yanked the hem to cover her knees again.

Cloud pivoted as suddenly as he’d barged in. When he left the room, he stood with his back to the wall outside, stuttering.

"S-sorry, I — I didn’t mean — thought I heard you—"

That sounded crazy, though. No way could he have heard her all the way out in the flower fields when she’d been in the house. Except he was positive he had. He just couldn’t explain it. The flowers… they’d done something. Aerith said they could speak to her. Maybe they could speak _through_ her. Even while she—

He remained awkwardly in the hall, his face hot. Eventually, Aerith’s voice reached him again.

"Cloud…? You still there?"

"…Uh." He answered, succinctly, "Yup."

" _Knew_ it," whispered Aerith, a teasing cadence in her hushed voice. She asked him, "So? Do you feel like coming back in?"

After a stunned moment, Cloud knew what his answer was. Same one as before.

"Yup."

He swayed only a moment, then ducked back through the open door.

Aerith sat in the same spot on her bed. The end of the dress, when it wasn’t being pulled at, draped naturally around the curve of her thin hips and thighs. Cloud looked at where her legs and the long dress folded and tucked underneath her, skimming his eyes to the lacy, crocheted halter neckline, and her bared skin. Pinker from her flush, especially next to the white.

Her hair was down. It curled lightly in front of her shoulders, down to her waist.

She gently bit her lip while he stared. Then she patted the blankets in front of her, when Cloud kept standing there. He shook himself. Remembered his sword was on his back, and lifted it off to lean it against the wall. He sat on the bed, too. At first on the edge, with only one leg bent on top. Then he moved closer to sit cross-legged in front of Aerith.

"Heya," she said. Cloud smiled slightly, too, after her airy laugh. "Hey," he responded.

He reached for a piece of her hair, trailing it to himself. He held the end against his closed mouth, glancing back up at Aerith’s captivated face.

"Cloud?" she asked, "Wanna watch?"

Her hair slipped from his hand, bouncing gently where it met her chest again. While he was speechless, she gathered her hair to fall past one shoulder, then leaned back onto her palm.

Her other hand started to slide her dress up her thighs.

Cloud’s eyes flicked from hers, green and bright from lingering headiness and her characteristic playfulness, to her hand pulling closer and closer to her lap.

Cloud’s eyes hooded as he watched her skin be revealed. Her bare knees, then her thighs. And then the short curls between her legs, darker where they were already soaked. He let out a breath he’d been silently holding, a low noise escaping him with it.

"Aerith…"

Her eyes widened at the huskiness she heard in his voice, too. Her bottom lip tucked into her soft bite again. She cast her gaze down with his. Her hands curled lightly in on themselves.

Cloud checked her face. Asked if everything was okay. Aerith admitted, "Actually… this is kind of more embarrassing than I thought."

"Don’t have to. If you…"

She shook her head and replied easily. "Yeah, I know. I still _want_ to."

Cloud hummed, unsure where to go from there. He glanced at her hand still holding the bottom edge of her dress around her waist.

"Got an idea, maybe."

"Oh, yeah?" she teased, one brow delicately rising. "Well, come on, Cloud — you have to tell me, y’know."

"…Lie back?"

She tilted her head with a quiet, _Hm? 'Kay._ She lowered her back to the bedcovers. Shifted her shoulders slightly, setting her feet flat and wiggling her toes, before she was comfortable.

Cloud reached for the material bunched around her thighs, carefully straightening it out from her grasp. He adjusted to lay on his stomach, between her legs, and he covered his head.

The light in the room filtered through the dress fabric. Made her skin underneath glow soft. Underneath was warm, too, from holding the heat of her body.

He asked, "This work?"

"Yeah… it sure does."

There was a rustle, and the side of her dress draped over her arm where she reached underneath. Her fingers flattened over her lower stomach. Still, barely, wavering. Cloud, after a moment of discarded hesitance, smoothed reassuring palms up the soft undersides of her thighs, into the crooks of her knees and back down, following along her curves to gently hold her small hips. He could see her slow breath lift and drop her stomach. Her hand moved back down, and she fit her finger back along the seam between her lips.

Cloud watched the way she touched herself. Light, but steady rubs, with her longest slender finger, that skated away now and then. Gave Cloud the view of her clit pulsing hard at the sudden lack of touch, while she quietly whined, until she started to glide her finger again. Feeling safe to do so without being overcome.

Cloud knew how much she enjoyed teasing people with her personality. He’d been the target of that too many times. Didn’t realize she liked to tease herself as much, though.

Cloud swallowed. He shifted closer, putting his arms above her hips, cupping her back in his palms.

Being in SOLDIER, he’d been surrounded by plenty of big-talkers. Best of the best, men full of themselves on the battlefield. Also men eager to brag about their prowess in bed with their other sword. Cloud overheard about the 'conquests' in late-night talks from their military bunks. Had 'exploits' explained in full detail to his face, despite his obvious lack of interest in listening, more than once by some bloated moron. But it gave Cloud an idea for where to start.

The rest, he’d have to listen to Aerith to tell him.

He let his eyes fall, and gently nudged his nose against Aerith’s fingers to push them aside. He replaced them with his mouth.

He heard her gasp, felt it too where he held her. Nudged away, she used the flats of her fingers to pull one side of her folds over for him.

Cloud dropped and relaxed his tongue, and wetly, slowly, dragged it up toward her clit.

" _Sh-shit! Cloud… Oh…"_ Cloud did it again, making her whine, and her knees threaten to squeeze together.

He kept the pressure light, pulling up before grazing the most sensitive part of her. Teasing, edging, same as he’d watched her do. More soft moans reached him from above her dress the lighter he stayed. Cloud moaned low himself, moving from the bottom again. He heard his name come from her again. And heard it whispered too over by the vanity, where he remembered there stood a vase of her flowers.

He pulled back, feeling the air on his damp chin and lips. Some of her slick on his mouth. He skimmed his tongue over his lips to dry them. She tasted kind of sweet. Reminded Cloud of the berries that grew in a patch near the base of the cliffs.

He double-checked with a hushed question, "Feel good?"

"Really, _really_ good."

"Yeah?" Cloud felt the corner of his mouth tilt into a smirk, pleased despite himself. That he made her feel good. "Sure you don’t… want me to do anything different?"

" _Mm-mm…_ Keep going. I like what you’re doing…"

Cloud suddenly ducked his head, even though Aerith couldn’t see him. He wondered if she could still guess his feelings by the heat coming off his face. The way she could unabashedly say something like that, express what she liked without fear, wasn’t something Cloud could feel the same level of comfort doing… before Aerith.

Had been like that the first time they’d kissed. Leading up to it, Cloud had only allowed himself brief touches. Knuckles brushing the back of her dress, her bare shoulder, once, when he thought he was especially daring. That was, until she’d had enough, grabbing his retreating hand. Holding it alongside her tilted up face, she gave him permission with a simple, "Hey, Cloud."

Cloud had huffed in answer. Mostly at himself. Then he’d replied, "Right," and kissed her, like they’d both been wanting.

Cloud kept going. Doing what felt right, being conscious of Aerith’s tells, the motion of her body, the catch and release of her breath. Felt like he could do it all day, if she wanted him to.

But distantly, he heard his name being called. "Cloud… Cloud…"

Cloud eased back, to roll his forehead against Aerith’s inner thigh. "Yeah," he rasped.

"Make me cum?"

Cloud groaned. He settled his face in front of her again, asking, "Right now?"

" _Mm._ I’m ready to, okay?"

"Got it," Cloud said. He wet his lips, and made them round over her clit. He gently sucked, and massaged her clit pulled into his mouth.

She clenched, tightened. He angled his mouth with her, pressing firm with his tongue. Slowly licking, staying gentle like she liked, as he rode with her through her quakes.

He felt her relax after the eventual last of them. He gingerly released that sensitive nub, but lapped at her wetness.

A hand finally settled on top of his hair, curving over the back of it to encourage him to come back up. "Cloud…"

Cloud uncovered himself from the bottom of Aerith’s dress, and sat back on his haunches. He pushed the edge of his wrist across his slick chin.

He saw the way she was looking at him. Completely satisfied. Like that was everything she wanted and more. Cloud cast his look down, trying to tamp down his ego, his happiness that she obviously enjoyed that so much.

She rose too, patting her dress back straight down her thighs, before holding a hand gracefully between them.

"Well, Cloud? Are you going to come up here?"

Cloud pillowed his head against her chest, with her arms coming up around to hold it. _Oh!_ she said, before she brushed her fingers through the strands of his hair.

She wondered, "Want me to…?"

Cloud shook his head against her, and turned his face into her soft skin showing above her top, kissing her there. "Nah… I’m good."

"Okay."

They laid together, Aerith softly combing his hair, Cloud listening to the gentle rhythm of her breath, and heart. Wondering how the hell he’d gotten as lucky as he had, to be that near to her. Didn't know it was possible, to feel like they were even nearer than they’d been before.

When they got up, they decided to test what Cloud had heard. Aerith pouted at her vase, _I can’t believe you guys,_ before they headed outside. She crouched next to a flowerbed by the base of the porch. Cloud got on his bike, driving further and further out, honking his horn each time he could still hear her voice traveling out through the meadow.

He cut the engine, listening when he hadn’t heard her for a longer than usual amount of time. There weren’t as many flowers, this far out from her property. But there were still some, sparsely scattered among the dirt alongside the road.

Cloud stood from his motorcycle and walked to a solitary one, crouching to get down closer to its level. Still didn’t know if it worked the other way around. And Aerith was always telling him he should learn to talk to the flowers more.

So, he murmured, "Hey… You mind telling Aerith something for me?"

When he made his way back to her, he was met with her smile that beamed, and he knew the flowers had carried what he’d said. The corner of his own mouth slowly rose, to grin.

"You goof." A little ways from him, she bent and cupped her hands around the petals of a flower, whispering to it.

Took no time at all for him to hear, _I love you, too, Cloud._

**Author's Note:**

> @highfivestrife (nsfw)


End file.
